stonecrandall Chapter 65: Fishman Island Has Made a Name for It
Chapter 65: Fishman Island Has Made a Name for It
Chapter 66: Fishman Island Has Made a Name for It
With a "click," Neptune personally closed the door to the side hall. There were no servants or guards inside. Oro looked around.
Rather than calling it a side hall, it's more accurate to describe it as a well-lit study. One wall facing inwards is made of bookshelves and is crammed with all sorts of books.
The outer side is a huge piece of transparent crystal, and through the crystal floor-to-ceiling windows, you can overlook the entire Fishman Island.
"Lord Orikum, please have a seat."
Nebton led Oro to the central lounge area of the room, where a huge sofa, shaped like a jellyfish, was crystal clear, soft, and bouncy.
On the coral coffee table were prepared black tea and snacks from Gaya Island. Oro saw the creative desserts that Gails was promoting.
"King Neptune, if you wish to discuss the establishment of an all-weather strategic partnership between Fishman Island and the United States, you should have your Foreign Secretary contact my Secretariat."
After saying that, Auro picked up a piece of blueberry cloud cheese from the coffee table and took a bite. Hmm—it wasn't as good as the one Gail made herself.
After finishing a piece of cheese, Oro wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and picked up his black tea again: "The relationship between the United States and Fish-Man Island over the past few years is close enough, isn't it?"
Neptune, who had just sat down, remained silent for a moment, then stood up and walked to the French windows, gazing at Fish-Man Island outside: "Your Excellency President Oricum, thanks to the strength of the United States, the number of slave-hunting teams and pirates harassing Fish-Man Island has decreased significantly over the past two years. Fish-Man Island will never forget Your Excellency's kindness, therefore—"
Neptune turned to face Oro, who was sitting on the jellyfish sofa: "Does Your Excellency still remember Vice Admiral Zephyr, who was in charge of investigating the destruction of the G7 naval base five years ago?"
"Oh?"
Oro put down his Western-style teacup: "I'd like to hear more details."
Neptune sat back down on the sofa, then leaned forward: "The Navy's investigation was halted by the World Government after only six months, and the World Government reassigned another Vice Admiral to be in charge of the investigation and reconstruction of the G7 naval base."
"Lieutenant General Zephyr, who was supposedly about to be promoted to general, was very dissatisfied with this and continued to conduct investigations secretly even after his investigative powers were taken back."
Hearing this, Oro picked up his teacup again. Seeing that the other party was about to lose interest, Neptune quickly said, "Lieutenant General Zephyr is currently on Fishman Island and asked me to make an appointment to see if we can arrange a meeting with you."
Oro paused in his tea-drinking motion, placing the teacup back on the saucer with a crisp "tap." "Does the King mean that Vice Admiral Zephyr is currently on Fishman Island, and not in the G12, the unit the Navy recently appointed him to?"
A naval base, and they want to see me?
Neptune nodded and lowered his voice: "The Vice Admiral's fleet has indeed passed through Fishman Island and gone to G12 in the New World, but Vice Admiral Zephyr himself is still on Fishman Island."
"With the meager help we, the victims, have received over the years, the Lieutenant General has come to realize that a large portion of the illegal slave hunters who have ravaged Fish-Man Island for so many years did not come from the sea, but from Marineford, from the Red Earth —"
Oro frowned, placed the teacup and saucer back on the coral coffee table, and then looked directly into Neptune's eyes: "So, why does he want to see me?"
Neptune felt Oro's increasingly sharp gaze and quickly waved his hand: "Please don't misunderstand, Your Excellency President. Fishman Island has no knowledge of how the G7 naval base was destroyed back then."
"Those mermaids who managed to escape back then don't remember what happened. Please rest assured, the entire Fishman Island knows nothing about this matter."
Seeing that Oro had withdrawn his gaze, Neptune secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then said, "I have dared to say so much, wasting Your Excellency the President's time, because I was afraid that Your Excellency would misunderstand the sincerity of Fishman Island without knowing the cause and effect."
Oro looked at Neptune, who was talking enthusiastically, with surprise. When did this old man become so eloquent?
Auro cleared his throat, interrupting the mermaid king's performance: "Just tell me, why did Zephyr want to see me?"
Neptune opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally said hesitantly, "Lieutenant General Zephat—want to obtain investment from the Kingdom of Jaya—well, I don't know exactly what it's for."
"Hmm? Investment?"
This unexpected answer prompted Oro to ask instinctively, "What? Is the Navy really struggling financially? To the point where they're having a vice admiral come out to solicit investment?"
"And the one they sent was a scruffy old man? Gaya Island is the capital of the United Kingdom, not Chengdu."
Neptune shook his head repeatedly and quickly replied, "I really don't know, he didn't tell me. But—"
"but?"
Neptune leaned closer to Oro again, his voice lowered as he spoke: "Last month—I went to Mariajoia for a meeting and heard about something that was suppressed from above—cough, it concerns the Navy—an attack—"
Oro raised an eyebrow as he saw Neptune hold up a five. Was this an attack against the Navy that was suppressed by the Five Elders?
Neptune looked at Oro's expression and was secretly pleased. Sure enough, the President of the United States was unaware of this matter.
The Kingdom of Jaya has been actively preparing to become a member state of the World Government, but it has never been ready.
The franchise agreement has been delayed again and again, and most of the problems stem from the World Government, not the United Kingdom. It's unclear how they managed to do that.
Neptune leaned closer to Oro again, almost touching Oro's face: "Vice Admiral Zephyr has repeatedly ignored warnings from the Navy Headquarters and the World Government and has been secretly investigating the G7. I even heard that half a year ago, he came to CP and threatened them with force."
"Then last month, during a relocation of family quarters at a naval base, they were attacked by pirates—"
Neptune looked cryptic: "We don't know why that residential area was suddenly moved, we don't know who the pirates were, we don't know when the attack happened, and we don't even know the location of the attack. The World Government and the Navy are still unsure."
Oro leaned back, moving away from Neptune's increasingly close face: "Presumably, among the families of the fallen naval personnel were Zeffa's family members?"
Neptune nodded with a "you guessed right!" expression: "Despite saying they knew nothing, they found the victim's body immediately."
"I heard that Lieutenant General Zephyr's pregnant wife—although there were no signs of humiliation,—couldn't be found to have all of her 'parts'—"
Oro fell silent.
The attack on naval family members occurred earlier than expected. Zephyr hadn't been promoted to admiral yet, got married earlier, and even had a child before the birth of his child. This doesn't match the original story at all. Is it a butterfly effect caused by the destruction of the G7 naval base?
"—Has the time and place for the meeting been confirmed?"
"If it is convenient for Your Excellency the President, please turn left after exiting the building. There is a very enclosed room at the end of the corridor."
"Please rest assured, there will be absolutely no one in the corridor!"
Oro stood up and glanced at Neptune: "Fishman Island has really made something of itself."
Neptune smiled and opened the door for Oro.
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